Barnstormers Fall in Thriller

Long Island Rallies Twice for 6-5 Win

Dan Lyons drove in the winning run with a sacrifice fly as the Long Island Ducks rallied in both the eighth and ninth innings to top the Lancaster Barnstormers, 6-5, in the rubber game of a three-game series at Bethpage Ballpark early Sunday evening.

With Lancaster leading, 5-4, Derrick Pyles led off the bottom of the ninth with a dribbler up the third base line.  Anthony Carter (4-3) raced over, but the ball slipped out of his hand as Pyles reached safely with the infield single.  Audie Afenir failed on two tries to get a bunt down before dumping a single into shallow center field, sending the tying run to third.  Delta Cleary, Jr. singled into right to score the tying run, sending pinch runner Alex Burg to third in the process.  Lyons followed with the sacrifice fly to win the game for Long Island.

The runs were the first allowed by Carter since June 27, and it was the first time the right-hander failed to convert a save opportunity in the last 25 tries.

Long Island overcame an early 4-0 Lancaster lead to tie the game.  The Ducks scored two in the sixth off starter Brad Bergesen.  Marc Krauss doubled home the first run and later scored on a single by Ruben Gotay before Bergesen coaxed a double play out of Giovanny Alfonzo.

John Anderson took over from Bergesen with two outs in the seventh and retired the first three batters he faced before Krauss muscled a single into shallow center with two outs in the eighth.  Angelo Songco followed with a two-run homer to right center tying the game.

Lancaster was able to break the tie in the top of the ninth.  Lastings Milledge reached base when Dan Lyons tripped and fell on a leadoff grounder.  Nate Coronado bunted Milledge to second, and Anderson De La Rosa ripped a single up the middle for the go-ahead tally.

Coronado had singled home the first run of the game off Henderson Alvarez in the second.  Josh Bell added a two-run double in the third inning.  Sean Halton tripled and scored on a passed ball in the fifth for the 4-0 lead.

The Barnstormers will host the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs in the opener of a four-game series Monday evening at Clipper Magazine Stadium.  Tommy Shirley (2-4) will take the hill for Lancaster against right-hander Daryl Thompson.  Fans may tune into the Barnstormers YouTube Channel, beginning at 6:15.

NOTES:  Halton picked up his sixth triple and 56^th extra base hit of the season…He is now fourth all-time in career triples by a Barnstormer with 11…Coronado was 2-for-3, improving his season average to .353 and his average on the road to .409…He has 12 mutli-hit games…Steve Clevenger singled twice to go 6-for-12 on the trip.